Brake-lever for car-trucks.



J. A. PILCHER.

BRAKE LEVER F08 CAR TRUCKS.

APPLICATION HLED APR. l. 1916' Patented Sap 2'", 1917.

, Elwwntoz wi'bnaoa E Mfg l UNITED STATES PATENT onnren.

JOHN A. PILGHER, OF ROANOKE, VIRGINIA.

BRAKE-LEVER FOR OAR-TRUCKS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that It JOHN A. PILCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke and State of Vir inia, have invented certain new and useful hmprovements in Brake-Levers for Car-Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to brake levers for use in connection with railway equipment, and the present application is a eo1npanion to my co pending application Serial Number 88,280, filed April I, 1916. The principal object thereof is to provide a three-hole lever having an open space between the middle and the top hole, and

adapted for use with existing forms of hra ke beams. r

\Vit'h this and other objects in view the invention consists in the peculiar forn'iation of a lever as set forth herein, also in combination therewith the various related truck parts as herein described and as particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the lever of my invention, certain related brake parts and a portion of the truck structure being shown in dotted lines and partly in section. Fig. 2 is an end elevational view and Fig. 3 a plan view of the some, certain brake parts being shown in dotted lines.

Referring to these drawings it will'be seen that this lever is of the three-hole type with transhcrsely disposed holes at the upper and lower extremities and a. similar middle hole between these These holes are in lll).-'i;2LIlilt\1 alinemcnt in side elcvational view as indicated in the drawings. it is customary to form such lovers of a continuous and straight bar of nuiterial extending from extreme hole to extreme hole. The lover of my invention, l'iowerer, which is denoted in the drawings by the nunueral l, is formed in the shape of a hoolc. with the hole at the upper extremity located at what may he termed the eye of the hook. and the hole 3 at the hottom extremity located at what. may he teinu-d the bend of. the hook. The middle hole 4 is located at the point of the hook. It will thus he seen that the lever progresses in a path which may he said to originate at the middle hole 4, progressing thence in a din-rt path to the hole 3 at the lower ex- Speelflcatimi of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 1, 1916.

extremities Patented So d. 25, 1917.

Serial N 0. 88,279.

tremity and progressing thence Ill a curved path up to the hole 2 at the upper extremity, and it will be seen Further that there is no direct connecting metal betworn'tlw middle hole and the hole at the upper extremity. The absence of this metal provides a spare which may he ()(,(2ll|)l0(l by a portion of the truck such as designated 5 and thus serves to providc' additional width for -|u-h a member over that possible win-n a straight lever is used. The brake boom 1. served by this lever, is pivotally ronnwtod th l'eio at the middle hole l. The lnaho lu'nn i ol' tho connnerrial lypo with a transwrslar memher 7, a transversely pierced jauwlmped fulcrum 8 being attarbed to the from. side of the bar member. The lever l i rurved around the hack of lll( har mrlillui' in its path from the bottom hole to the top hole, and where two 1C\'(l",-(l yilSpUh fll brake beams are used may pass between the backs of th two beams.

The lever 1 is actuated by means of one or the other of lever-actuating: nnanhers fl and 10, and in the actuation thereof this lover swings normally around (he a :is ot the hole 4 as a pivot. in order to provide constai'it clearance for the lever, the can ature of the same at ll is in an arruato path swung about the axis ol. the hole I as a. center. The lever actuating momhers are attached. to the said lever at the end holes 2 and 3. rcspectively, and the lever who so formed and connected may he applied in place of any or dinary straight lever, the action in use being the same, but the improved form ol. lever providing the :ulditonal space between the middle and upper holes for the other part of the truck structure.

This lever may be used either with truck construction or :a r body construction or at other places, as it frequently occurs that this space is desirable.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A lever having three holes therein in substantial alinement, the lover progressing in a. path originating; at the middle hole, progressing thence to an end hole and thence to the other end hole, Where the same terminotes.

2. A lever ha vine, three holes therein .in substantial alineniont, the lever originating at the middle hole and progressing in a,

direct path to the hole at the lower extremity and progressing thence in a curved path to the hole at the upper extremity.

3. A lever having three holes therein in substantial alinement, the lever originating at the middle hole and progressing in a direct path to the hole at the lower extremity and progressing thence in an urcuate path to the hole at the upper extremity, the said ercuate path being swung about the axis of the middle hole as a center.

4. A lever having three holes therein in substantial alinement, there being a bar of metal extending between the middle hol and the hole at the lower extremity and a bar of metal extending between the two ex "reme holes, but there being no direct coni oting metal between the middle hole and the hole at the upper extremity.

5. In combination, it broke beam having a bar member with a fulcrum member attached to the front side thereof, a brake lever having three holes in substantial alinement, the said lever being pivoted to the said fulcrum at the middle one of its three holes, the remaining two of said holes being disposed respectively above and below the said fulcrum, there being a portion of the lever extending from the said middle hole thereof to the bottom hole and a. portion curved around the back of the said bar member and extending from the bottom hole to the top hole, but no direct connecting portion between the middle hole and the top hole.

G. A three-hole brake lever formed in the shape of a hook, the end holes thereof being respectively at the eye of the hook and at the bend thereof, the middle hole being at the point of the hook, in combination with a brake beam. and a. pair of lever-actuating members, the said brake beam being pivoted to the said lever at the middle hole thereof, and one of said 1crer-actuating members being attached to said lever at each of the end holes thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J( )HN A. PILOHER. \Vi tnesses H. B. WADE, Roy K. BROWN. 

